


Killer of Heroes

by pretzelmintz



Series: Tales of Animalia [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Animals, Blood, Blood and Gore, Dark Magic, Elemental Magic, F/F, F/M, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Magic, Multi, Original Universe, Swearing, feel free to ask questions, id appreciate it, ill be making art to go along with this, ill explain more stuff in the notes at the end, im excited for this!, ive got a shit ton of lore for this, maybe ill make a tumblr blog for this too who knows, none of the characters are straight fyi, the entire universe was made by me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-03-30 00:12:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13938441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretzelmintz/pseuds/pretzelmintz
Summary: Hollow wants to find her place in the world. Her destiny.Little does she know, her search will lead her right into the paws of an evil thought to have been buried thousands of years ago.Now, Hollow must correct her mistake......Or fight alongside those that made her life a living hell.





	1. A Storm of Soaking Blood

**Author's Note:**

> i have to type all this shit again im so pissed
> 
> any uhh heres a story ive been working on for ages
> 
> its pretty complicated so you can ask questions if you want
> 
> uhh ill explain some stuff in the notes at the end
> 
> enjoy i guess :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chief of Police, Parker and his assistant, Rex, follow a lead on a case they've been following for 2 weeks.  
> The conclusion they arrive to is something neither of them could have expected.

Harsh rain pelted the mud as villagers ran by. Their pelts were soaked, muddy, and heavy. One mother ran next to her kit, who slipped and fell face first into the mud. The mother picked him up by the scruff and hurried along to the shelter of their hut.

Another terrible day in this terrible village.

Village au Trois Roches: The village of Three Rocks. Named after the three stones in triangle formation around the village. These stones represented three past Heroes who probably did something heroic. Most villagers didn’t care about the legend. Most were here to make enough money in the gem mines and leave as soon as possible.

Here, there were no exotic breeds. No cool species with special features, no Wild Blood, no Dolphintails, just plain old canines and felines.

This is what Parker had known all his life. He’d been Chief of Police of the village for ages. It was odd, having a Russian Blue feline as chief of police. Most would have thought a broad shouldered German Shepherd would have done the trick.

Parker sat on the balcony of the police “station”. His face was blank, but his mind was racing.

His dark blue collar around his next, with a badge of fool’s gold. Yep. Mighty police chief.

He sighed. Drumming his toes on the wooden balcony, he lifted his muzzle to the sky. Dark and grey. A representation of how he was feeling.

“Sir!”

A flicker of movement caught his attention, but he didn’t flinch. He didn’t have the strength.

Moments later, a young adult German Shepherd rushed out the door of the police station. His blue collar was adorned with a stormy gray stone. Assistant of the Chief of Police.

Parker turned his head towards him.

“Patte Rex.” he said in his low, gravely voice.

The young dog bowed his head in respect. Assistants were usually referred to as “patte”, meaning “paw” in Sirenian.

“Is there something you needed to talk about?” inquired the feline, turning his head back to surveying the village.

Rex was fidgeting where he stood. Then, he spoke in a shaky voice. “Sir, I just received a report.”

Parker did not react, but turned his ear towards the canine to indicate his acknowledgement.

Suddenly, Rex’s voice got more serious. “It’s about… the missing family.”

That got Parker’s attention. Unsheathing his claws, he turned towards his assistant, tail lashing.

“What is it?!”

Rex flinched, lowering his head. Parker realized what he was doing, and retracted his claws. The canine seemed to relax a bit.

“Loud yowling was heard in the Pine Rock forest. I figured it might be a lead…”

Parker nodded. “Yes, I think so. Good work.”

Rex’s anxious expression seemed to fade a bit.

Parker turned back to the village. “I’m going.”

Rex’s eyes widened. “But, Sir-”

Something about the feline’s hard glare was enough to make Rex go silent. He nodded reluctantly.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Parker shook his head. “You’re not going.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” growled Parker, “it might be dangerous.”

Rex puffed out his chest and met his superior’s gaze. “I’m not letting you go alone. As your assistant, it is my job to be loyal to you.”

There was silence. Then, Parker sighed.

“Sometimes I wish I didn’t make you read those code manuals so often.” He sniffed. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Rex nodded vigorously, and together, they hurried down the steps of the balcony and into the village streets, sending mud splashing all around them.

 

Covered in mud and soaking wet, the two finally arrived to the forest. The enormous trees were enough to shield them from the rain.

Nobody really came to this forest. There wasn’t much to do there. Besides, the villagers weren’t the type to have nice relaxing picnics in the forest.

They’d gone pretty far into the woods. Rex tried not to look to uncomfortable at the mud sticking to his thick pelt.

“Do you know where the noise came from?” asked Parker. Rex shook his head.

“No, Sir. All I was told was that it came from the woods.”

Parker tried not to look disappointed. Rex lowered his head.

Just then, Parker felt a chill run up his spine. He had no idea why. Rex must have felt it too, as the canine’s fur stood on end.

Parker had a horrible feeling something terrible was about to happen. Looking at Rex, he flicked his tail from side to side. The signal meant _be cautious._

Suddenly, Rex let out a tiny yelp. Parker turned to him.

Rex held out his paw. Parked winced. His paw pad had been pierced. Blood began to well.

Rex licked his paw while Parker inspected the ground. Sure enough, something was there.

A tiny, sharp object specked with blood.

At closer inspection, Parker realized it was a small, pointy amethyst shard.

“What…?”

“An amethyst?” said Rex from where the sat. “In the forest?”

Parker flicked his ear. “Improbable. For starters, it’s a single shard. Second, Amethysts are very rare, even in the mines. Lastly, it is impossible for a gem to have formed so close to the surface.”

Rex cocked his head. “Maybe someone dropped it?”

Parker bent down to pick it up, but he couldn’t. The shard appeared stuck to the ground. Growing inpatient, Parker pulled as hard as he could.

At that moment, the shard…. disappeared into the ground. It left no traces of its presence.

Rex blinked. “Uh…”

Parker twitched his whiskers. “This is not natural.”

Rex stood up and padded over to Parker, wincing whenever he set down his injured paw. “You said it.”

Parker narrowed his eyes. “Gem Spirit.”

Rex staggered backwards, eyes huge. “Here? Really?!”

Parker sighed. “What else could it be?”

“But… all the way out here? Aren’t Heroes usually, like, royalty? Why would they be spawning random gems all the way out here?”

Parker’s gaze darkened. “I never said anything about Heroes.”

Silence. Rex gasped softly. “You don’t think…”

Suddenly, a very quiet whimper filled the air. Rex’s tail stood straight up.

Parker put his thin tail over his assistant’s jaws. _Be silent._ Rex nodded.

Quietly, they tiptoed towards the source of the noise. Another whimper. And another. A whimper of pain and sadness.”

The whimpers grew louder. They were almost there. Parker unsheathed his claws. Rex did the same.

They crouched in front of a few bushes. The whimpers were coming from the other side.

A smell wavered around the area. Unpleasant. Like Iron.

Iron.

_Oh no._

Parker hated that smell. It brought back memories he’d wish he could forget.

He didn’t want to see what was on the other side of these bushes. But he had no choice.

He dragged his tail across the ground, another signal. _Slowly._

And then, thumping it across the ground, he and Rex padded through the bushes and emerged through the other side.

 

The scene they arrived on was just what Parker had feared.

They were in a muddy clearing, surrounded by bushes and stones. A big tree stood at the far end of the clearing. That wasn’t what Parker had been worried about.

No. Instead, it was the blood-soaked bodies scattered everywhere.

Three bodies. An old, male canine, a female feline and a young, male canine.

The missing family.

_But… if they’re here, then where’s…?_

The father had been savagely ripped open. Parker had never seen anything like it. No claws were sharp enough to do that. His face was contorted in a scream of pain. Eyes glazed and rolled back, jaws wide open and specked with blood.

The mother was at the other end of the clearing. She was splayed across the ground, and enormous hole in her neck as if something had shot straight through it. There were many smaller holes across her body. Parker couldn’t read her expression. Her jaws were parted slightly, but her eyes… were gone. Parker didn’t spend any time examining her face. Nausea began to overtake him.

Finally, Parker noticed the tree was splattered with blood. Laying in front of it was the son of the family. Young, only 4 years old. His body was at odd angles. His head was all the way back, neck snapped. His spine and a few of his bones poked out of his fur. Blood still foamed at his mouth.

Parker felt all hope die inside him. They were dead. The missing family was dead.

He’s failed.

Rex gave up the effort into being silent. He parted his jaws and shrieked. Parker didn’t shush him. There was no point anymore.

Rex staggered. He flopped forward, spinning.

“Sir, they’re- they’re- the bodies, the family, we-”

“They’re dead.” Parker said blankly. No emotion laced his voice.

He stared at the bodies once more, starting with the father.

_Timber, I’m so sorry, my friend…_

His head moved to the mother.

_Magnolia… thank you for everything. Things shouldn’t have ended this way…_

Finally, to their son.

_Flint- Flint, you were so young, I…_

Tears spilled out of his eyes as he silently sobbed. He made no effort to stop them. He didn’t care if it was unprofessional. He didn’t care if his assistant was watching. He didn’t care anymore.

Rex moved to his mentor’s side. Eyes filled with tears as well, he pressed against his side. Parker didn’t move away.

They sat quietly like that for what seemed like hours.

Parker sniffed. Then, a sudden thought erupted into his mind.

_Three bodies… three bodies… where’s…?_

Rex must’ve had the same thought.

“Where… did the whimpering come from?”

At that moment, from the bushes on the far side of the clearing, near Magnolia’s body, they heard a whimper.

Parker was on his feet in an instant, as was Rex. They moved silently and cautiously toward the noise.

They stepped near Magnolia’s corpse. Rex accidentaly stepped on some blood.

“Ah- ah- wait a minute…” he looked at his paw. Parker didn’t turn back and continued stepping towards the whining.

Rex eyed his paw, then Magnolia’s blood, then the other bodies.

“The blood is still fresh.” he gasped. “They were killed recently.”

Parker heard him. He was near the bush now. With a terrible sense of dread, he slowly parted away the bushes, and…

 

His heart stopped.

 

Hidden under the bushes, cowering in fear, covered in blood, with a torn face revealing ashy gray flesh, sobbing quietly, crystals at her paws, was a fluffy magenta she cat.

Parker had no words. Nothing to say. The only thing on his mind, the only thing he managed to say was:

 

“Violet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Animalia- The Universe. Dominated by Canines and Felines of all kinds of different breeds. Different Kingdoms, languages, environments.  
> Village au Trois Roches- The village where Parker lives. Depressing. Near the gem mines, where most people go to work.  
> Pine Rock Forest- Forest near the village  
> Heroes- Animals with powerful spirits able to channel them into magic using Spirit Crystals  
> Spirit Crystals- When worn, they will channel the power of the spirit of the animal into magic. If used by a hero, the magic will be powerful and they can use wings. If used by a non hero, they can not use wings and the power can not be used well. Power may sometimes overwhelm the user and corrupt or kill them.  
> Gem Spirit- Someone who's spirit is connected to Gems  
> Sirenian- The language spoken in Sirenia, an enormous kingdom and easily the most well known (the language is french)  
> Patte- A prefix used for assistants in police, medicine, etc. Means "Paw" in Sirenian.
> 
> Parker- Chief of Police of the village  
> Rex- His assistant  
> Timber- Father in the missing family  
> Magnolia- Mother in the missing family  
> Flint- Son in the missing family  
> Violet- ???


	2. Screams Echoed on White Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parker learns some shocking things about Violet. Finally, he has a change to talk to her.  
> And yet, all he can do is watch as his one opportunity slips between his claws.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOO!
> 
> Enjoy!

Parker’s head was spinning. Too many thoughts whirled through his mind. He paced in circles, lashing his tail and twitching his whiskers.

It had been six hours since he and Rex discovered the bodies. So much happened in those six hours, but Parker’s mind had been numb through it all.

The only thing he knew was that Violet was taken to a lab near Serenia. They brought her to a room, somewhere, before Parker could argue.

Parker had asked Rex to stay behind. His assistant had been looking very pale, so he told him to go rest. Parker, on the other hand, was standing in the lab, alone, waiting.

The bright, white walls and lights of the lab was blinding, as he was so used to the dark, dull village. He also suddenly remembered how he hadn’t slept in ages. Oh, and he also had a headache.

Now, his heart ached with worry. Laying his eyes on Violet and seeing her covered in blood, crying and terrified, had caused the image to be burned into his mind.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed someone enter the waiting room.

“Chief Parker, good morning.”

Parker whirled around and faced him.

It was a sleek, white tom. He had brilliant turquoise eyes and well groomed fur, with a tuft on his head. Around his next was a collar that matched his eyes, along with a tiny gadget that Parker couldn’t identify.

The Chief blinked slowly. “Morning?”

The white tom nodded. “Yes, Sir, it is nearly 2am.”

Parker was surprised. He’d lost complete track of time. He couldn’t remember what time it was when he discovered the bodies.

The other tom continued. “Anyways, pleasure to meet you. My name is Flask, I’m the Head of Behavioural Sciences here.”

Parker acknowledged him with the flick of an ear. “Pleasure.” He felt no need to be fully respectful. For starters, he was probably older than him, not to mention he was Chief of Police. Also, he didn’t have the energy to be well mannered.

His response didn’t seem to bother Flask. The white tom swept his tail on the floor.

“Sir, would it be possible for you to follow me?”

Parker didn’t reply, but he stood up and nodded.

 

The lab was much bigger than he’d anticipated. Doors lined the hallways, and chatter filled the air as people sped by, each wearing lab coats. Parker had never seen so many different breeds in one place.

Flask led him further and further away, until they were in a quieter area. There were less doors. Instead, there were windows.

Flask led him to one of the windows and beckoned him to sit. Parker peered out the window and gasped.

They were looking down upon a big, white room. Quite a bit was empty, but there were a few machines and some medical equipment, as well as a few people down there. Some tended to the equipment, while others stood around an examination table.

And on that table, lied Violet, eyes closed and hooked to some wires.

Flask must have noticed his reaction, as his expression grew solemn.

“I had some of my scientists examine her. We’re collecting data, analyzing behaviour and emotional balance.”

Parker turned to him. “Is she going to be okay?”

Flask nodded. “She isn’t harmed, but…”

Parker froze. “But?!”

Flask turned back to the window.

“Well, after everything that happened, we fear it’ll take a toll on her.” he closed his eyes.

“I… understand.” Parker sighed. Just then, he noticed a glimmer around Violet’s neck. A necklace, with a crystal attached. The one Violet liked to wear since she was twelve years old.

“You haven’t taken that off?” asked Parker, pointing his tail towards it.

Flash opened his eyes again, and followed where his tail was pointing. He flicked his ear.

“We tried. But, strangely, when my assistant tried to take it off, something… happened to her.”

Parker didn’t like the sound of that. Flask continued.

“Her eyes turned black. It scared all of us, but when I made her let go of the necklace, her eyes went back to normal and she lost consciousness. Nobody tried to take it off after that.”

The Chief’s breath hitched. “How odd.”

Flask flicked his tail. “We decided to examine the crystal.”

Parker flinched. This is what he’d been asking himself since he saw that necklace. “Is it a…?”

“Spirit Crystal? Yes.”

His eyes widened. Flask look at Violet through the window. Parker growled.

“Wait, so she was a…!”

Flash shook his head. “No, she’s not a Hero.”

The Russian blue’s fur stood on end. “She isn’t royalty, either! She lived in a fucking wasteland of a town! How in God’s name did she get her paws on a Spirit Crystal?!”

“We don’t know!” shouted the scientist. There was an awkward silence. Parker steadied his breathing, and sat back down, huffing. Flask continued, quieter.

“However, we think that her being in possession of a Spirit Crystal, and the fact that she’s not a Hero, is exactly why that family died.”

Parker lowered his head. “You’re convinced she did it?”

Flask’s whiskers twitched. “Well, that’s my opinion. She was found at the scene, covered in blood. I’d say that pretty incriminating evidence.” he paused. “But I’m not the one to decide. You’re the police Chief. This case’ll most likely be taken to Serenia. You’ll be in the council that decides her fate.”

Parker narrowed his eyes. “Surely they’ll see it as justified due to an overwhelm of power?”

Flask sniffed. “Or illegal possession of a Spirit Crystal.”

Parker couldn’t stifle the growl rising in his throat.

 

They sat in the science lounge. After watching Violet for quite some time, Parker had realized he hadn’t eaten. Flask offered him some food while they waited for more results.

The Chief sank his teeth into a squirrel. Most animals preferred to cook their prey, but Parker enjoyed them raw.

However, he felt no enjoyment from eating this squirrel. It tasted bitter in his mouth. The only reason he continued eating was so he wouldn’t have to make conversation with Flask, since he was the only other person in the lounge.

The room was smaller than the waiting room, and the walls were painted a pretty dark turquoise. A white sofa with blue pillows surrounded a coffee table on one side of the room, while there was a small kitchen and dinner table on the other.

Parker sat at the table, while flask sat on the couch. They were facing each other.

The Russian blue couldn’t stop thinking about Violet. How fragile, how weak she looked when he saw her strapped to that examination table.

There were so many questions racing through his head, ones he wishes he could ask her, but that wasn’t possible.

He wanted to speak to her.

“Where did you get that crystal?!”

“Are you okay?!”

_Do you… remember me?_

The door to the lounge suddenly opened, and a frail looking, golden tabby she cat appeared, and staggered over to the couch, where Flask met her gaze, with a worried expression.

“Flan! Are you feeling alright?”

The white tom licked her forehead. They continued to talk, but Parker drowned out the noise.

They seemed to have a close relationship. Not romantic, more… parental. Like a father comforting his daughter.

Parker scoffed to himself. _Is that what could have been?_

He couldn’t take it anymore. Leaving the squirrel on his plate, he stood from his chair and left the lounge. Flask didn’t call after him, or try to follow him. Good.

Parker had planned to walk around the building, but his paws were leading him to Violet. He couldn’t tell if seeing her again would make him feel better or seeing her looking so pitiful would cause him more grief.

He sighed. Whenever he padded past someone, they would dip their head respectfully. He’d nearly forgotten he was Chief of Police. He’d felt so weak, so small.

Finally, he was in the examination section of the building. No one else was around.

He peered out of each window he passed by, trying to find which one belonged to Violet.

And that’s when he heard a blood curdling shriek.

 

Hackles raised, claws unsheathed, Parker immediately bolted. He didn’t even know where the scream came from, but his paws seemed to know exactly where to go.

He ran past scientists and interns, who were crying out in alarm, eyes wide. Parker could feel that a few animals were on his tail, heading towards the noise.

Parker had a horrible feeling in his stomach, and it wasn’t the squirrel he’d eaten. It was the same feeling he had just before emerging upon the scene in the clearing.

His paws led him to the 1st floor, near the examination section. Earlier, he’d been viewing the rooms from the 2nd floor.

_Please. Please._

His prayers were drowned out by an enormous crashing noise, and another shriek. The more he ran, the louder the noises got, until finally…

…he arrived upon a scene which made his heart drop.

The door to one of the examination rooms was wide open. The room where Violet had been kept.

Parker burst through the door and saw blood.

The examination table had been thrown to the side. Machines had been broken, and tubes were ripped.

Lying on the floor, in the center of the room, was a body.

A sandy coloured wolf had been sliced wide open, spewing blood and guts everywhere.

Three other scientists were in the room. One was laying on the ground, eyes closed. Parker thought he was dead, but the rising and falling of his chest indicated he was unconscious, or just playing dead.

The two other scientists, a tom and a female wolf, were huddled in the corner of the room, eyes wide, shaking and eyeing the body of their coworker.

Parker didn’t pay attention to them. Not to the broken machinery, not to the body.

He was staring straight at the figure standing over the body.

Violet.

But this wasn’t right.

She was twice her usual size. The side of her face with no fur was covered in bright purple amethysts. Her eye had gone black, showing only a ring of purple as her eye. The crystal around her neck glowed.

Blood was splattered over her stomach, paws and jaws. Spit dribbled at her mouth. She snarled, revealing sharp teeth. However, her two canine teeth were now made of amethyst. In fact, so were her claws.

Parker stared, eyes wild, at the she cat. The one he cared for more than anything. The one part left of the one he loved. The one he watched grow from afar, never forgetting her.

Was this even her anymore?

The creature screeched at Parker, who didn’t flinch. Then, with the flick of its tail, it turned around and smashed straight through the wall. The white stone fell away, revealing the thick forest surrounding the building.

 

The creature was out through the hole in a second, and that was the last Parker ever saw of Violet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flask- Head Scientist of the Behavioural Sciences Department  
> Flan- Flask's assistant


	3. Only a Skip away from the Devil's Fray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A she cat wakes up in a forest. Not knowing where she is, or who she is, she finds herself making a new friend and a promise she couldn't keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im gonna add a shit ton of LGBTQ characters in this. why? cause its my story rebecca i do what i want
> 
> next chapter, the story rEALLY begins ;)))

The very first thing that came to her mind was confusion.

She stood up stiffly, and squinted at her surroundings. Her head was pounding, and her thoughts were swirling.

She realized that she could only see out of one eye. Raising her paw, she ran it along the scar covering half her face and body. She remembered she had a scar, but forgot how she got it.

She eyed the area around her, trying to figure out where she was. She saw trees. Tall, green trees. The smell of nature drifted around her. A chickadee chirped overhead.

Alright, so this was a forest. An unfamiliar forest, but still.

And then she realized she was covered in dried blood.

She opened her jaws to scream, and then immediately closed them. She didn’t want to attract anything. She wasn’t really in the mood to fight a bear.

Steadying her breathing, the magenta she cat padded quietly through the forest. She noticed a necklace around her neck. It jingled with every step. Something told her to keep it on.

Perking her ears, she picked up the faint murmur of a stream, and sure enough, she found a small river through the bushes.

Sitting on the edge, she dipped her paws in the water. It took some scrubbing, since the blood was dry, but soon the water around her began to turn red. She padded into the water and washed the blood of her chest.

After a few minutes, the blood was gone. Now she was incredibly wet.

She heaved herself out of the water and shook her pelt, causing her necklace to shake wildly. After some rolling around in the grass, he decided she was dry enough.

Now she had no idea what to do next.

She remembered her past, but not how she got here and what this necklace was.

_Where’s Mom? Dad? Flint?_

She felt as if there was a huge gap in her memories.

_This isn’t Pine Rock Forest… how far am I from the Village?_

She sat for a few minutes by the river, getting her memories back together.

And then, she realized something that made her heart drop.

_What’s my name?_

 

She paced wildly, panic beginning to set in. She couldn’t remember her own name! What on earth happened to her?

Why was she in this forest? Why was she covered in blood? Why did she have this necklace?

And what the heck was her name?

And now, to add to her panic, she was lost. She couldn’t find an exit in this stupid forest.

She did her best to calm her breathing. If she kept hyperventilating, she’d faint, and that wouldn’t be good.

At that moment, her stomach growled loudly. Her mind instantly pictured a bear, and she yelped in alarm. Realizing it was her stomach, she folded her ears over her head in embarrassment.

_Maybe eating something could help me calm down, or maybe even remember my name._

Problem was, she didn’t know what she could eat and what she couldn’t. She was also certain that her constant yelling had scared off all the prey.

She padded further into the forest, racking her brain. Her nose was in the air, smelling for any food.

As she began to give up hope on ever finding anything, a sweet scent wafted towards her.

_Fruit!_

She followed the scent for a few moments, until she arrived at a big tree.

At its base, she found a stack of more fruits than she’d ever scene. Which wasn’t a lot, since her village didn’t grow any.

At least she could identify them. There were apples, berries, and a few peaches.

She then realized just how hungry she was. It clouded her judgement. As in, she didn’t question why there were a bunch of fruits all huddled together, under a tree that didn’t bear any.

Stepping forward, she bent down to hook her teeth into an apple, mouth watering…

“Hey stranger!”

She screeched, unsheathing her claws and leaping up into the tree’s lowest branch.

_I’m gonna die I’m gonna die I’m gonna d-_

Nope. Standing at the base of the tree, smiling up at her with bright eyes, was a small, ginger and red wolf with a plaid green bandana. It looked to be around 13 years old.

The magenta she cat relaxed her fur. The wolf spoke.

“Sorry for giving you such a scare! I didn’t mean it, promise!” it beamed. “This is the fruit I’ve been gathering.”

She bowed her head. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I’m so-”

The wolf frowned. “Hey now, no need to apologize! You look hungry. Here, have some!” it held out it’s paw, holding a peach.

She cautiously decended from the tree, and sniffed the peach. Then, she grabbed the peach with her teeth and bit down. It was delicious. She muched hungrily, crouching in front of the wolf.

Then, she saw a yellow band around it’s leg. She knew what that meant.

_Alright, so they. Got it._

She stood up and swiped her tongue around her jaws. “Thank you.” she said.

The wolf smiled. “No problem! I’m Skipper.” they said. They held up their armband, and the feline nodded in understanding.

No one spoke. Slowly, they spoke again. “So… what’s your name?”

_Shit._

Could she just say, “Oh, I don’t have one” or “Oh, I don’t remember”? That wouldn’t work.

She had to think of something. Skipper was staring at her, eyes shining, tail wagging.

_My fur is purple. How about Purple? No, that’s dumb._

_Grapes? No, that’s even worse._

_Think of something, come on…!_

And then, one word came to her mind. a single word, describing how she felt. It described the feeling in her heart, her mind, her memories.

_Better than nothing._

“My name…” she started, “…is Hollow.”

 

“Almost there, Hollow!”

Skipper was bringing her to their home. She was tired, and they’d offered to let her rest and eat in the safety of their cottage. Hollow had no idea where exactly their cottage was, but she silently hoped it was in her village.

Then she realized that there was no way a wolf this happy could ever come from that depressing village.

“Hey, Skipper?” said Hollow, quietly. Skipper whipped their head around to face her.

“Of course!” they smiled. Hollow had no idea how someone could be so happy all the time.

“Do you know where The Village Au Trois Roches is?” she asked them. Skipper laughed.

“Gesundheit.”

Hollow flicker her ear. “Uh, no, I didn’t sneeze. It’s a village, do you know it?”

Skipper stopped laughing. They tilted their head. “S-sorry, say it again…?”

“Village au Trois Roches.”

Skipper chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, I have… no idea what that means.”

Hollow exhaled. “Never mind.”

_Besides, it’ll take to long to explain it to them._

Finally, they found the exit to the forest. Hollow thought that the sun hitting her pelt would feel wonderful, but as soon as she saw the light she felt overpowered and immediately wanted to hide in the darkness again.

Of course, Skipper padded happily in front of her, holding fruit in the bag they had strapped to their back. Their tail wagged in excitement.

Their cottage, as Hollow had guessed, was not in the Village au Trois Roches. This village was bright.

Cottages made of all kinds of tree wood were set all over the area, with balconies decorated by the most colourful flowers Hollow had ever seen. The paths were lined by rocks and villagers waved at the two everywhere they went. A few seemed weary of Hollow. Part of Hollow was relieved. She hated being put in the spotlight. The other part of her felt self conscious.

Soon, they arrived in front of a cottage with pots of every flower imaginable lining the balcony. Skipper leaped up the stairs, beckoning Hollow forward with their tail.

“This is my place!” they explained. “You’ll love my parents. They’re really sweet!”

Skipper knocked on the door, and moments later, two females wolves answered.

They beamed. “Skipper, you’re back!” said the large ginger furred one. She looked a lot like Skipper.

The other wolf, a lithe, leopard spotted female glanced at Hollow. She smiled. “And you brought a friend!”

The positive energy they radiated was almost enough to canon Hollow off the balcony. The family was just a bright ray of sunshine.

Hollow felt warmth in her heart for the first time since she woke up.

 

“So, Hollow,” began Skipper, once they had settled in the living room. “These are my moms! Ginger,” they pointed at the fluffy one, “and Swift!” they pointed at the lithe one.

The living room was cozy. The sofa seemed a bit old, but it was soft under Hollow’s paws. A circular carpet, pale blue with white floral patters, was set on the floor. Potted plants hung from the ceiling, near the windows that lined the side of the room.

The mothers beamed. “So nice to meet you, Hollow!”

Hollow thanked them, and took another bite from a chocolate chip cookie that they had offered her.

She decided not to tell them about how she couldn’t remember much about her past, or how she woke up having no idea where she was. She told them she was a traveller who got lost in the forest.

Skipper turned to their mothers. “Can she stay the night?” they turned to Hollow. “If you want, of course.”

Hollow nodded. “That’d be nice.”

She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was.

Waking up lost, half her memories lost, covered in blood, being scared half to death by Skipper, all in one day?

“Then you’re welcome to rest here!” chirped Ginger. Her large tail swished back and forth.

Swift looked out the window. The sun was setting. “It’s gonna be late, soon.” she commented. “If you’re tired, we have a spare room for you ready right now!”

Hollow dipped her head. “I’d like that.”

Ginger stood up. “Okay, I’ll bring you to the guest room.” she beckoned Hollow with her tail to follow her.

Hollow waved her tail in goodbye to Skipper, who waved back. She was glad she’d made a friend. She couldn’t remember if she had any. Or maybe she never did.

Then, she followed Ginger to a nice, small room with a cat bed in it.

“Sorry it’s so small, we don’t really have guests often…” she said wistfully.

Hollow was surprised. She thought a family as bright and as welcoming as them would be swamped with guests at all times.

Hollow smiled. “It’s perfect, thank you.”

The magenta she cat padded forward, settled into the bed, purring happily. Ginger flicked the lights, and padded out of the room, shutting the door.

It was quiet. Hollow loved it. The quiet of the forest had been unsettling, putting her on edge, as if something would pop out at her any second.

Here, she knew she was safe. Her hunger was satisfied, she was in a comfy bed, and she’d met some of the nicest people in her limited memory.

Hollow felt exhaustion set in, and soon, she closed her eyes. It didn’t take long for her to drift into sleep.

 

Once again, Hollow had no idea where she was. She woke up feeling lightheaded, surrounded by darkness.

She didn’t panic as much as she did in the forest. Maybe she was getting used to this.

She whirled around, but everywhere she turned, she was just met with more darkness.

“Hello?” she called. There were no walls, but her voice echoed around her. “Skipper? Ginger? Swift?”

She felt vulnerable. Not knowing what surrounded her made her feel uneasy.

She tried running, but she felt as if she was going no where. Is was darkness for miles. The only thing lighting up was the crystal around her neck-

_Wait, my crystal?_

Looking down, the shard of amethyst was indeed emitting purple light. Suddenly, Hollow felt like this wasn’t an ordinary crystal.

_Amethyst, amethyst, crystals, spirits, spirit crystals-_

Barrels of sudden knowledge flooded over her.

Amethysts represent Gem Spirits.

Before she could put the pieces together, a voice sounded in the darkness. It was cold, menacing, oozing with malice.

_“Hollow. How I waited for you, my dear.”_

Hollow’s eye darted around wildly, but she couldn’t see anything. The voice felt like it came from everywhere around her.

And then, a sudden image appeared. It was very faint, but Hollow could make out a pale outline of a cat with black eyes and glowing, golden rings for pupils.

It appeared to be a tom. Hollow felt an enormous chill run up her spine at the sight of him. She dared to speak.

“Who… are you…?” she asked cautiously.

The figure ignored her question, instead pointing behind Hollow with his tail.

Hollow turned around, slowly, and shrieked.

She saw bodies. Three bodies, all horribly mangled. Magnolia, Flint, and Timber. Her family.

Hollow stepped backwards, staggering. She eyed the bodies wildly. With her panic, she hadn’t realized that the figure was literally two inches from her face.

“You did this.” he said. Hollow bared her teeth.

“What?! No, I didn’t!” she yowled. “They aren’t dead!”

His eyes blinked slowly. “You don’t remember?” he shook his head. “My, you aren’t as impressive as I’d hoped.”

Hollow growled. “What does that mean?!” Hollow screeched, backing up from him. “You’re a liar! My family isn’t dead! They’re waiting for me! They’re-”

Suddenly, she felt her entire body get dragged forward, she was lifted harshly into the air.

The figure was lifting her by her necklace, using some sort of telekinesis. She struggled, but the necklace tightened around her neck, limiting her breathing. Her muzzle was right up against his face.

“You’re a monster!” he yowled, voice booming in the darkness. No air escaped his mouth when he talked.

“I- I’m not-” Hollow choked. The figure’s eyes burned into her.

“You have no heart. No remorse. You kill without mercy.” he hissed, voice getting lower. “You must leave, now, before you kill again.”

An image of Skipper and their family flashed into Hollow’s mind. The figure smirked, as if he had read her mind.

“You don’t want your precious little friend’s stomach split open by your claws, now, do you?”

Hollow barely managed to shake her head. The figure narrowed his eyes.

“Then leave. Now.” he growled. “No one will take you in. Nobody. Except for me.”

Hollow couldn’t breathe. She flailed wildly, while the figure kept talking, his glare not wavering.

“This is your one chance. Take it. You have greatness within you, Hollow, now you must use it. Follow the path.” his muzzle gestured towards her crystal. “It knows where you belong, and so should you.”

And with that, the mysterious being slammed her to the ground, and disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

 

Hollow’s eye flew open, and she leapt to her paws, grabbing her throat. She could breathe again. She was back in the room, in Skipper’s cottage. Safe.

_That was a dream. It was all a dream. My family’s alive._

However, she began second guessing herself. She was then distracted by a tugging feeling.

Her crystal was glowing, and _moving._ She felt like it was dragging her, or at least trying to.

_Before I kill again?_

Hollow had no idea what that meant. But she knew one thing.

She had to leave. Now.

Quietly, she opened the door and exited the room, careful not to make a sound. She had decided on leaving without telling anyone.

Hollow tiptoed through the hallway, and into the living room. Nobody was there.

And then, Hollow walked to the front door, pushed it open, and padded outside.

The village was quiet, excluding the sounds of crickets. Hollow saw a few flowers were glowing, while fireflies buzzed around. Much prettier nights than the ones in her village.

Carefully stepping down the steps to the balcony, she was ready to make a beeline for the forest, when a voice called out to her from behind.

“Hollow?”

The she cat jumped, and whirled around to face a very sad looking Skipper.

Hollow coughed. “Hey, Skipper, uh, lovely evening we’re having.” she meowed.

Skipper didn’t smile. “Are you… leaving?”

Hollow didn’t feel like lying. She also felt guilty about trying to leave without telling them. She sighed.

“Yeah. I am.”

Skipper cocked their head, frowning. “Why?”

Hollow wasn’t about to tell them that a demonic spirit dude met her in a dark wasteland to tell her she supposedly killed her family.

She lowered her tail. “I… need to find my village. My family is probably looking for me. I can’t abandon them.” she tried concealing the sadness in her voice. She tried stopping the tears welling at her eye.

She turned fully towards them. “Skipper, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done. You, and your family.” she meowed. “You made me feel safe. You helped me recover. I’ll never forget that.” Skipper didn’t say anything, and she continued. “But I don’t belong here. I need to reunite with my family. I… miss them.”

Skipper nodded slowly, but there was something in their eyes. Something that told Hollow they knew something was wrong. Finally, they spoke. “I understand. I won’t forget about you, either.”

Hollow, choked with emotion, leaped up the stairs and pressed against Skipper. The wolf buried their muzzle in her fur.

They were still for a while. None of them said anything.

Hollow felt her crystal tugging her in the other direction.

_“This is your one chance. Take it.”_

The figure’s words echoed in her mind.

_Well, it’s now or never._

“I should go.” said Hollow wistfully, breaking up the hug. Her eye glanced at Skipper. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

“Of course. You be safe now, got it?” Skipper nodded as Hollow padded back down the steps. The she cat bowed her head.

She was nearing the path, when Skipper called out again.

“Hollow… promise me you’ll come visit?”

Hollow smiled. “I will.”

_I’ll try._

With a final wave of her tail, and with her crystal practically begging her to move, she leaped onto the path and delved into the forest, feeling the presence of the yellow eyed tom beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Armband- Some animals prefer to wear flowers of specific colours These represent what pronouns they prefer. All animals learn about what they are.  
> Blue/Green- He/him  
> Pink/Red/Purple- She/her  
> Yellow/Orange/White- They/them
> 
> Petal Village- The village where Skipper lives. Many flowers and fruits come from there
> 
> Skipper- A fruit gatherer for their village, and Hollow's friend (Non-binary, they/them pronouns)  
> Ginger- Skipper's mother (has two moms)  
> Swift- Skipper's mother (has two moms)


	4. A Trial of Life or Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having left Petunia Village, Hollow wanders back into the forest. Unbeknownst to her, her fate has been permanently sealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Intense gore
> 
> And it begins.... ;)

She was lost.

Again.

Groaning, Hollow could only wander cluelessly through the forest.

It was pitch black out. The trees blocked the stars and the moon shone feebly on the leaves. Every once in a while, a cricket would shout, and then silence would return, except for the sound of Hollow’s paws.

The she cat, thankfully, had a light source. After stepping into the forest, her crystal had been glowing nonstop. At first, Hollow thought the necklace had been guiding her, but she soon felt that she was making no progress.

It didn’t help that she had no idea where she was going.

The spirit had said she should know where she belongs, but Hollow thought she belonged in her village. She was certain the screeching evil ghost didn’t want her to go back to her home sweet home.

Hollow jumped at a sudden noise, until she realized it was just the sound of a twig snapping.

But she hadn’t stepped on a twig.

Hollow whirled around, taking in every surrounding. A twig snap could be caused by anything, from a mouse to a bear.

Hollow tried to steady her breathing. She remembers the tips from her mother to calm anxiety.

_In for four seconds, hold for four seconds, release for eight seconds._

Unfortunately, all that did was remind her of her mother, which in turn made her sad. The spirit’s words rang in her head.

“You’re a monster.”

_Am I?_

Hollow had suddenly forgotten about the twig snapping. She shrugged, and prayed to the almighty ancestors that she had only imagined the sound.

And that’s when a bear leaped out of the bushes.

 

Hollow was immediately swept of her paws and slammed to the ground, pain coursing through her. The bear let out a mighty yowl. She felt a paw on her neck and another on her cheek, holding her head down.

The feline choked out a panicked cry and flailed helplessly while the bear remained unphased by her flailing.

Then the bear spoke.

“State your business.”

So, it wasn’t a bear. Judging by size and by paw feel, this was a male wolf. He spoke in a gruff, but young voice with a slight strain to it.

Hollow made a sound much like a choking bird. The paw pressed harder on her neck.

“State your business!” screeched the wolf, pushing her head deeper into the ground.

_I’m gonna die._

That was only the fifth time she’d had that exact thought in the span of three hours.

Suddenly, the wolf’s grip vanished, and Hollow gasped for air, coughing violently. She pushed herself to her paws, still feeling the indent in her neck and the pain in her shoulder.

She opened her eye and saw the wolf standing in front of her.

With a closer look, Hollow understood how she’d mistaken him for a bear.

He was huge. Not fluffy huge, just huge. His fur was different shades of pale brown, and his eyes were a dull ecru. His cheeks were fluffy, along with his tail, which was short. He stared at Hollow with a stern look, but the feline saw a flash of guilt in his eyes.

Hollow then realized that he wasn’t staring at her, instead, he was staring at her crystal, which was glowing like mad.

Hollow also realized that the stranger had a crystal as well. He wore it around his neck, on a collar of dusty stone.

The wolf then met her eyes.

“It knows where you belong, and so should you?”

Hollow flinched. He had just quoted an exact line from her dream.

That answer seemed to be enough for him as he nodded, turned and beckoned her forwards with his tail.

“Follow me.”

Hollow stood still for a moment, then reluctantly stepped towards him.

They kept walking, not making eye contact, nor making any small talk, which Hollow was thankful for.

However, the feeling of fear still lingered in her stomach. Where was he taking her?

And then suddenly, the space around them vanished and changed.

 

Hollow’s eye widened and her crystal immediately stopped glowing.

She blinked a few times, wondering if what she was seeing was real.

The forest had disappeared.

Now, they were standing in the middle of a giant hollow. Enormous, dull coloured willow trees hung over the edge, and a murky waterfall ran down the rocks and through the hollow.

And everywhere she looked, she saw animals.

Dogs, cats and wolves of all breeds and blood were scattered around. Lined up, dug into the edges of the hollow were caves. A few animals sat in front of those caves. Others lounged by the water.

Hollow scanned every corner, bewildered. Then, as she turned around, she saw that, beyond the hollow was the same forest they had just been wandering through.

The wolf must have noticed her confusion, because he spoke up.

“Welcome to the camp.” he gestured to the area around him. “It exists in a small pocket, or whatever. People on the outside can’t see it, and they can’t enter it. It’s complicated, I know.” he sighed. “Go ask Shapeshifter or something, I’m sure he’d tell you all about it.”

He suddenly grew solemn.

“That is… if you make it in.”

Hollow’s blood ran cold. To much information was being processed.

_Camp? Pocket? Shapeshifter? If you make it in?_

The stranger turned to her, solemn expression gone.

“The name’s Umber, Earth Spirit. You?”

Hollow quivered. “Uhhh…. Hollow.”

Silence.

Umber blinked. “…Spirit?”

Hollow didn’t answer. She had no idea what he meant.

_How would I know? I’ve never even seen a Spirit Crystal!_

Another awkward silence.

Umber sniffed. “Well… I should-”

He was suddenly interrupted by a loud yell.

“HEY! UMBER!”

A spotted feline came bounding up to them, putting a paw around him and squeezing him. Umber’s expression was of both annoyance and I-can’t-breathe.

Hollow examined the newcomer.

It was a male feline. He carried some sort of eerie aura along with him. His golden eyes seemed almost empty, and he appeared slightly transparent. The pupils of his eyes were a glowing yellow ring. His fur was a dull yellow, and he had cheetah spots. Hollow was almost certain he had Cheetah blood.

The stranger suddenly eyed Hollow, his eyes piercing through her head.

“New recruit, eh, Umber?”

The wolf nodded, and the feline let go of him.

“Nicely done! Though she don’t look very impressive, eh?”

Hollow felt slightly offended, but she couldn’t help but agree with him.

He stretched his body in a yawn. “Welp, gotta go. Duty calls, yknow?” he turned around and padded away, but swiveled around at the last second.

The other feline smirked at her. “Call me Spark, ya hear?”

Hollow felt her entire body go rigid.

Spark.

She’d heard that name before. In stories.

Stories about a single cat wiping out half of the Dolphintail population over a century ago.

She suddenly understood why he appeared so empty and transparent. He was a ghost.

A ghost that didn’t belong among the ancestors.

Just like the spirit in her dream.

 

Umber guided Hollow along, through the camp. Animals lifted their heads and stared at her. Not in awe or surprise like in Petal Village, but in disgust. Hollow couldn’t decide which was worse.

Hollow felt weak under their glares. Umber looked down at her with a twinge of sympathy.

They began walking up stone steps on the edge of the camp, to the lowest level od caves. Hollow noticed each cave had a word carved above it. _Water, Fire, Newcomers, Eldest_ , and more. Inside each cave, Hollow saw animals resting.

They stopped abruptly in front of a cave marked _Unsure._

“Stay here for now.” said Umber, pointing his muzzle at the inside of the cave.

Hollow stared at him, then slowly padded in. It was small, and empty, with a few nests made of dark coloured moss.

When she turned around, Umber was gone.

Hollow sighed and collapsed in the furthest nest. At once, she cringed. The moss was incredibly dry. As if no one had changed it in months.

As she attempted to ignore the feeling, she began to ponder her next move.

She had no idea who all these animals were, but Hollow was sure they weren’t friendly.

Spark was an evil cat, so surely this wasn’t a fun, bonding camp.

Hollow felt hopeless.

Her mind was racing, trying to piece together what the spirit had said and connecting it to her current situation.

_If he says I’m a dangerous killer, why would he tell me to come here, with all these other animals?_

_Unless I’m in the wrong place?_

_No, this has to be it._

_Then why does this feel so wrong?_

Hollow decided that maybe sleep would clear her mind. Only problem was, she couldn’t sleep while her mind was so full of questions.

Once in a while, she’d feel a presence at the front of the cave. News had probably spread fast about Hollow’s arrival. Animals were stopping my her cave, murmuring about her. Hollow did her best to ignore them.

Hollow lost track of how long she’d been lying there, trying to sleep. She groaned and turned over in her nest, the dry moss crunching under her weight.

Soon, Hollow had stopped hearing voices. There were no animals peaking into the cave. There was no sound at all, except for her own breathing.

Hollow sighed. Finally. Maybe now she’d get some sleep. She didn’t want to admit that, this entire time, she’d prayed she’d been dreaming.

_Maybe I’ll wake up back at the village, Flint prodding me awake._

_Maybe I’ll smell Mom making breakfast._

_Maybe I’ll hear Dad shut the door behind him as he leaves to work in the mines._

_Maybe my family won’t be dead._

Heart filled with hope, Hollow felt herself slowly slipping into sleep.

_Flint…Mom…Dad… please…_

Suddenly, she felt someone at her side. She slowly opened her eye, and saw Umber’s paws.

“Get up.”

Hollow felt like crying.

Utterly crushed, Hollow heaved herself to her paws, facing the giant wolf. However, this time his gaze wasn’t friendly. It was solemn.

“Come with me. It’s time.”

Hollow cocked her head, anxiety slowly beginning to rise, replacing her despair. “Time…? For what?”

Umber looked to his paws. Then, without saying a word, he turned and padded out of the cave.

_Gee, thanks for the info._

Nervous, Hollow padded out after him as he led her down the slope. It was eerily quiet.

Hollow scanned the camp.

There was no one there.

Not a single animal.

All the caves were empty.

Hollow’s anxiety skyrocketed. She suspected this had something to do with what Umber had said.

The she cat turned to him. “Where is everybody?”

If Umber had heard her, he ignored her as he kept walking, staring forward.

Hollow had had enough. Running past him, she turned on her paws and faced him, angry.

Umber stopped abruptly, eyes widened. Hollow bared her teeth.

“Hey! if you’re gonna bring me here, tell me what we’re doing!”

Though she tried sounding angry, the tremor in her voice gave away her fears.

Umber sighed sadly. Quickly turning his head side to side, as if checking to see if anyone was watching, he leaned closer to her.

“I can’t say much, I’m sorry. He would get me if I did…” he whispered. “But, all I can say is… be prepared. You’re either getting out of there alive, or your blood will dry on those stones.”

Hollow’s heart dropped. Umber walked around her and padded onwards, leaving Hollow dumbfounded.

“Now, come.” Umber said. “We need to hurry.”

 

As they padded deeper into the camp, past large trees, Hollow soon saw something in the distance. A thumping noise was getting louder and louder the further they went.

Hollow’s steps were getting slower, as if her paws were begging her to stay put. Umber wasn’t making eye contact.

Hollow was beginning to think she shouldn’t have asked.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. It was an enormous wall.

The wall stretched very far, then curved. The two stood in front a carved out door, blocked by thick vines.

Umber turned to Hollow. His expression was unreadable.

“Good luck.” he said, then dashed into the vines.

Hollow took a deep breath. She still had no solid idea of what she was going to do, but she knew she couldn’t run now.

On the other side of this wall, Hollow could hear the thumping loud and clear. The ground shook with every thump.

Closing her eye, Hollow braced for impact as she leaped through the vines, ermerging on the other side.

 

Hollow opened her eye to a horrifying sight.

She stood near the middle of an enormous, circular stadium.

All around her, animals were sitting above, looking down at her. They slammed their paws on the ground rhythmically, yowling unintelligibly. They glared at her with excitement in their eyes, though Hollow saw a few were watching her with sympathy.

Hollow crumbled to the ground, paws over her ears. The noise was overwhelming. She felt hundreds of eyes burning through her.

She squeezed her eye shut and began crying. The sound of her sobs was drowned out by the intense noise.

Suddenly, a loud yowl shook the earth, and everything was immediately quiet.

Hollow quickly cut of her crying as all eyes were taken off of her. Quivering, she stood and followed where they were looking.

At the far end of the stadium, a large rock stood. The end of the stadium was open near the rock, and Hollow saw the starless sky.

Someone stood on the rock. A dragon.

Hollow flinched. Was she going to fight it?! She’d never even seen one before!

However, the dragon settled down into sitting positions. Soon, it’s scales began to flicker and change. Its horns disappeared, its snout shortened and talons were replaced with paws.

In its place sat a male wolf as dark as night, with empty, emerald green eyes, just like Spark.

 He grinned as he stared at Hollow before raising his head upwards to address the crowd.

“Distinguished guests!” he yowled in a young voice. “It is my pleasure to announce the beginning of the Trial of Corruption!”

The crowd cheered intensely, and the wolf raised his paws for silence.

“Been a while, hasn’t it?” he said. “As some of you may know, we have a newcomer in the group.” he gestured to Hollow. The crowd eyed her maliciously.

“But, as I was informed, she doesn’t know what her Spirit is!” he said in a shrill voice. Hollow cowered under their stares.

“As you all know,” he continued, “weakness it a disease. It mustn’t survive. So, today, we’re here to test her.”

Hollow unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground.

“Thankfully, we had a generous volunteer!” he yowled happily. “Everyone, give it up for Thunderclap!”

From the right side of the stadium, someone emerged. Hollow quickly sped backwards away from them, finding herself at the end of the left side of the stadium.

The animal that emerged was a muscular male husky. He couldn’t have been older than twenty. He seemed bold and confident as he strode forward, soaking in the applause.

The gem around his neck was Tanzanite worn on a pale blue collar. It matched the colour of his eyes. His eyes looked Hollow up from top to bottom. He blinked, seemingly unimpressed.

The black wolf spoke again. “Now, it isn’t my job to begin the trial, no. So, once again, big round of applause for our very own leader, Raven!”

No one clapped. In fact, the air grew heavy with fear as a slick, lithe tomcat leaped slowly up onto the rock. He appeared so small next to the canine, but Hollow didn’t doubt the power he held.

His eyes, unlike Spark’s, were piercing and full. He wasn’t even slightly transparent. No, this cat was fully alive.

He scanned the crowd, as if daring anyone to speak. Nobody did.

The tom was pitch black, with white wrings around his eyes. His paws and the tip of his long tail were also white, although slightly stained with red. Hollow gulped.

His eyes odd. One was a striking tourmaline purple, the other was a bright amber. The gemstone around his neck was pitch black as well.

“Very good.” he said in a low but smooth voice. He turned to the wolf. “Shapeshifter, you know what I said about being applauded.”

 _Shapeshifter._ Hollow thought. _Umber mentioned that name earlier._

The wolf shrugged. “Whoops! Sorry, boss.” he said, snickering slightly.

Raven sighed. Then, he turned to the audience.

“I’m not one for building up the excitement, so let’s cut to the chase.” he growled. He stared down at Hollow.

“You all know how this works. Two animals enter the ring, one leaves. If the newcomer wins, she gets to stay with us. However, if she does not…”

He raised a paw and, in a flash, he dragged his paw against the stone. Hollow whimpered.

“Now,” he meowed. “Are both of you ready?”

Thunderclap snickered. “Duh.”

Hollow’s only response was a choked sob. A wave of amusement rippled through the audience.

Raven bared his teeth in a smirk. “Alright. You may…”

Hollow’s shoulders tensed. She felt rooted to the ground. In front of her, Thunderclap was in a hunter’s crouch, claws unsheathed, teeth showing.

“…begin!”

At once, the canine leaped at Hollow. Before she could react, he pinned Hollow to the ground as she screeched. The audience cheered.

Hollow didn’t know how to fight. She never had. Panicking, she tried pushing Thunderclap off of her with her hind legs, but her opponent was bigger than her.

Thunderclap howled, and scored her down the belly with his claws. When he did, Hollow felt a spark course through her.

Thunderclap could have ended her life right there, but instead, he withdrew, laughing. He jumped back, then jumped forward again, slashing Hollow on the shoulder. Hollow yelled.

The she cat realized she’d have to do something. Thunderclap was slowly chipping away at her. obviously pleased with himself.

Hollow growled as loud as she could before throwing herself at him. She felt him rear back in surprise, and when he did, Hollow fell weakly to the ground, having missed him.

Thunderclap leaped onto her back and buried her head into the ground, choking her. Hollow shook, but he had a firm grip on her.

Just then, Hollow had an idea. She shook one more time, then let herself go limp. When she did, Thunderclap’s grip loosened and the crowd roared.

Hollow waited for a few moments, before bolting upwards with all her strength. Thunderclap was cannoned backwards off of her, and the crowd gasped.

Hollow turned as fast as she could, but not fast enough. From afar, Thunderclap yowled, and a bolt of lightning shot from his paws, hitting Hollow square in the chest and knocking her to the other side of the stadium.

_Lightning spirit! I’d completely forgotten!_

Thunderclap’s crystal was glowing, and his eyes zapped electricity. He stomped the ground and lightning struck Hollow on the back.

He kept his distance as he continuously threw bolts at her. He was completely unharmed, meanwhile, Hollow was covered in bleeding wounds.

Every time she tried moving towards him, he shoved her away with strike after strike.

Excruciating pain coursed through her, and soon she could barely move. Reeling, she buried herself into the ground and curled into a ball, covering her face with her paws. Lightning hit her pelt at every second, and Hollow felt her vision begin going dark while the crowd chanted.

“Death! Death! Death!”

Hollow cried. She felt Raven’s gaze pierce through her.

She heard slowly approaching paw steps as Thunderclap got nearer and nearer, ready to end her life. She braced herself, feeling miserable…

…until she no longer felt at all.

 

 

Umber watched as Hollow stood up slowly. Thunderclap reared back, surprised.

_She’s still alive?!_

Yet, something was horribly off about the molly. Her eye was shut, but she didn’t even seem harmed. The wounds on her body weren’t even affecting her movement.

Thunderclap looked panicked for a moment, but he immediately sent another bolt to her.

It bounced off her with no effect.

Thunderclap’s eyes widened. He sent more, and still, nothing happened.

And then, Hollow’s eye opened.

It was completely black, a ring of purple glowing with anger as the pupil.

Hollow lowered her head. Suddenly, bright purple crystals pierced through her scarred side, covering her right side with amethyst.

She opened her jaws and revealed two long canines made of identical crystal. Her claws were longer, also made of crystal.

Thunderclap ran backwards. Hollow stood still as she began to grow bigger, fur growing fluffier.

Then, she raised her head and screeched.

All around the stadium, crystals were growing. Thunderclap stepped on one with his left hind leg and he winced.

Big mistake.

Hollow charged forward, saliva forming at the corner of her jaws.

Thunderclap screamed in fear as he attempted to run away from her, with no success. Hollow leaped onto him, rolling around until she pinned him onto his back.

Thunderclap could barely move as Hollow held his neck with her paws. The crowd was silent.

Umber turned from side to side, and saw that everyone was staring, wide eyed, jaws open. A few were facing away from the fight, eyes closed.

Umber caught a glimpse of Shapeshifter and Raven. The wolf was just as dumbfounded as the audience.

Raven also stared, surprised, but with new founded interest in his eyes.

Umber turned back to the fight as Thunderclap let out a choked cry. The powerful husky was helpless under Hollow.

The she cat parted her jaws, raised her paw over her head and, with a quick slash, tore Thunderclap open from throat to mid belly.

No other sounds escaped from him as Thunderclap went limp almost immediately. There was no cheering from the crowd. But Hollow wasn’t finished.

She dug her claws into Thunderclap and began savagely ripping him apart. Flesh and blood flew everywhere as she bit and clawed him all over his body.

A piece of bloodied fur flew into the audience and hit Umber between the eyes, but he didn’t flinch. He couldn’t stop himself.

“Hollow! Stop! PLEASE STOP!” he screeched.

Hollow didn’t hear him.

Finally, Thunderclap’s corpse was unrecognizable. Torn to shreds, his fur and flesh was scattered all around the stadium.

Hollow panted heavily. She was absolutely covered in blood. Her eye stared into nothingness.

And then, thunderous cheering erupted.

Umber looked up and saw thousands of animal spirits watching.

The Spirits of Antiheroes. They cheered loudly.

The audience made no sound.

Shapeshifter’s voice rang over the stadium.

“We have a winner!” he yelled. “Hollow, the newcomer!”

The applause continued. Everyone was so shocked, so horrified, they hadn’t noticed Hollow fall to the ground and not get up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shapeshifter: An Antihero with the power of shapeshifting  
> Spark: Lightning spirit, responsible for a horrific tragedy that happened thousands of years ago  
> Raven: Leader of the Antiheroes  
> Umber: Earth spirit, the wolf that brings Hollow to the camp  
> Thunderclap: Lightning spirit, the husky Hollow fights
> 
> Earth Spirit: Able to control rocks, spawn them from the ground. Able to create rock shells for protection. Usually very big and tough.  
> Lightning Spirit: Able to shoot lightning and shock others. Usually very speedy.


	5. Woken up Somewhere New, to Strangers and Terrible Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hollow meets some new faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, am not dead
> 
> extra long chapter!!!  
> FINALLY introducing the rest of the characters!!! let the group dynamic commence!

Hollow had woken up covered in blood. It covered her paws and chest, and stained her teeth. The unpleasant taste of iron hung on the tip of her tongue.

The last thing she’d remembered was cowering, in front of Thunderclap as the male wolf got closer and closer. Afterwards, everything had gone dark. But, judging by the blood dried all over her body, she could guess what happened.

She sighed and shifted in her nest, and winced. There was something around her neck that poked her shoulder. Opening her eye slightly, she noticed a black collar with sharp bones attached. A spike collar. The spike in the middle was not made of bone, but the amethyst she had been wearing as a necklace.

She was back in her cave, alone in the dark. There was noise coming from outside, and Hollow saw light leaking through the vines blocking the entrance of her cave. For a moment, she wondered if those vines had always been there.

Hollow raised her head weakly and looked around, shifting again. The moss was soft under her fur. Had someone changed the bedding? Opening her eye completely, she eyed the surrounding area, confused. This wasn’t her cave.

She hadn’t noticed the other nests surrounding her, or the rock shelves covered in leaves, berries and flowers of all kinds. The air was heavy with pungent odours that made Hollow cringe.

Hollow was sure she was still in the camp. She just new it. But where in the camp?

She stared at her bloody paws. It wasn’t her own. Had she really killed Thunderclap?

If she had, she had no idea how. Too many questions swirled through her head.

At that moment, someone walked in. Hollow could barely see them, but a feminine voice spoke to her.

“Alright, you’re all set.”

The voice was empty, almost eerie. It made Hollow shudder.

Hollow tried getting to her paws, but her legs lied limply in front of her. Her only reply was a groan.

Then, she felt a paw touch her shoulder. It made her flinch, but the touch was soft and warm. New energy suddenly surged through Hollow, and she found the strength to stand up.

Pushing herself upwards, she staggered a bit but felt someone press against her scarred side. Their fur was soft. Hollow wanted to see who was helping her, but because they were on her blind side, she couldn’t even catch a glimpse.

Slowly, they guided Hollow along, towards the mouth of the cave. Hollow saw the moving shapes of the animals outside. They pushed through the vines, and the sun was still rising, the sky a pale yellow and blue. The sunlight hurt Hollow’s eyes.

The two stood at the entrance. Nobody had noticed them yet. Feeling the other animal move away, Hollow turned to face them.

“Hey, thanks for helping m-” she began, then immediately her jaw dropped.

She was staring at the prettiest animal she’d ever seen.

It was a long furred, sleek and beautiful molly. Her fur was gray with a slight pink tint, with darker paws, and ears. There were three spots on her back and the tip of her tail was snow white. There were small, pink and fuchsia flowers all over her tail, chest fur and at her ear. Half of her face was covered due to a long tuft of fur. She looked up at Hollow. She was only a bit shorter than her.

Hollow was stunned to silence. It took her a bit to notice the stranger’s visible eye. It was dark grey and clouded, almost empty. Hollow felt like she was staring into a foggy night sky. There were dark lines under her eye, as if she hadn’t slept in a week.

The other molly didn’t say anything or react when Hollow kept staring. Without another word, she turned slowly and padded back into the den through the vines, her head down.

Hollow had been so preoccupied by the pretty molly, she hadn’t noticed that everyone around her had stopped to stare at her.

At first, Hollow had thought they’d noticed her gazing at the other molly. She bent down to lick her fur, embarrassed, before she realized why they’d been staring when she tasted iron on her fur.

She was still covered in blood.

Quietly and trying not to gag, she padded towards the stream that ran through the camp, to wash herself off. The other animals around her kept staring.

The dried blood cracked as she walked. She was a bit disturbed that she seemed so used to be covered in blood.

Hollow raised her head. _Don’t these animals know it’s rude to stare?_ She’d scoffed to herself, before remembering that mere moments ago, she’d spent a solid three minutes staring directly at a complete stranger.

Hollow turned around and locked eyes with another cat, a russet furred Abyssinian tom, but as soon as she did, he flinched and walked quickly away, joining another group of animals.

Hollow blinked. Turning to the other animals, they all reacted the same. Odd.

Even an enormous, cougar like molly turned tail and hopped and ran to the caves when Hollow made eye contact with her. Was a bloody cat really that terrifying to them? It hadn’t been that long ago that they’d watched in excitement as Thunderclap got closer and closer to killing her.

She shrugged them off and padded into the water. The colour was murky and uninviting, but the water wasn’t dirty and, when some accidentally got into her mouth, it tasted like normal, fresh water.

 _Maybe murky and uninviting is just the aesthetic of this place_ , she thought to herself, rubbing the dried blood off her chest.

It took a few minutes for Hollow to completely wash herself off, and she heaved herself out of the stream, and shook out her pelt. Hollow then turned and scanned the camp.

It was much emptier than it had been before. A few animals were lounging left and right, but the clearing was quite empty. _Have I scared them all off?_

Hollow wasn’t sure she liked others being scared of her. She was happy that they’d left her alone and stopped glaring at her like juicy prey, but she’d never really considered herself “scary”.

With a jolt, Hollow realised something. She hadn’t seen Thunderclap die or how she killed him, but she was completely covered in his blood.

_What did I do to him? Is that why they’re scared of me?_

Hollow wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she had to.

_Maybe Umber will tell me!_

She stood up to look around, but just then, a commotion above caught her attention. At the edge of the camp, near the caves, there was a large pile of rocks. They had been placed to act as stairs, and at the top of those stairs there was another cave, bigger than the rest. A few animals stood in front of the entrance, murmuring something Hollow couldn’t hear, but they spoke urgently.

Hollow swallowed. _That cave doesn’t look like the other caves. Who lives in that one?_

The animals suddenly parted, lowering their heads in respect. A dark figure padded between them. Hollow gasped quietly. It was the cat that had addressed the crowd during her trial, the one Shapeshifter had referred to as Raven. He seemed to be the leader of this group. The other animals were bowing to him like a king.

He swiftly descended from his cave, gracefully hopping from one stone to another. Landing on the grass, he padded swiftly forward. He was heading straight for Hollow.

The molly couldn’t help but sink her claws into the ground as he approached. His golden and purple eyes were glowing, and Hollow couldn’t read his expression. His eyes cut straight through her.

The few remaining animals in the camp dipped their heads in respect. Hollow, however, was frozen solid. Her fur quivered. She forced her it to lie flat.

Raven stopped right in front of Hollow and stared at her, chin up. Hollow felt weak under his gaze.

“You’ve woken up.” he said, portraying no feelings in his voice. Hollow could only nod slightly in response.

Raven grinned, a grin that sent a chill up Hollow’s spine.

“Well, welcome to the Antiheroes.”

 

//

 

Hollow followed Raven from behind as the tom lead him somewhere. Hollow lowered her head. More animals were in the camp now, and they glared at her as she walked past.

Raven growled. “Cowards, all of them. You needn’t care about them, Hollow.”

Though his words were meant to be reassuring, Hollow felt no comfort at hearing them.

“Sir,” she began, and gulped when Raven’s piercing glare turned to her. “I don’t mean to be rude, but… where are you leading me?”

Raven turned to look forward again. “If you’re going to live here, you need to know your way around.”

Hollow flicked her ear. “You’re giving me a tour?”

Raven scoffed. “I don’t have the time. I’m bringing you to one of our younger members.”

Hollow tried to conceal the relief in her voice. Just standing behind the dark tom made her anxious.

Raven padded onwards quickly, leaving Hollow to fast walk after him. She didn’t want to fall behind.

Hollow stopped abruptly as her spiked collar poked her again. Raven turned around.

“Something wrong?”

There was no anger in his voice, but no concern either. Hollow took a deep breath.

“Sir, why do I have this collar?” she asked.

Raven flicked his ear. “That collar holds your Spirit Crystal. We replaced it while you were unconscious.” he began. “All the animals here wear their crystals with a collar of some sort.”

Hollow nodded. “Okay, but why is mine a spike collar? I don’t see anyone else wearing one.”

Raven then turned around again. “It’s for the others to know.” then he kept walking.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why is everyone here so vague?!_

Hollow sighed quietly to herself, then followed Raven. They were almost to the edge of the camp.

The two stopped in front of a cave. Unlike the cave Hollow had rested in before her trial, this cave was on the lowest level of the camp. It was much larger. It hadn’t been marked, either.

Raven signaled for Hollow to peer in, and when she did, her eyes widened.

Lots of animals were scattered around the cave, some sleeping, others eating. They didn’t notice Hollow nor Raven until the sleek tom cleared his throat.

They flinched and swiveled their heads to look at Raven, but their eyes widened when they saw Hollow.

Raven eyed the room until his eyes landed on someone.

“Hollow, go sit next to Simon. Simon, give her a tour.” was all he said before he walked away. When he did, the whole room seemed to relax.

Hollow looked at Simon. He was a tall, short furred wolf. His fur was black and white, but he had odd neon green spots on his back and eyes of the same colour. A black bowtie with a Peridot in the middle was worn around his neck. His bright green eyes glared at Hollow as she slowly padded over to him.

Hollow settled a small distance away. The Peridot around his neck worried her. It was definitely a Spirit crystal.

Hollow paused. _How do I know that?_

She was very knowledgeable on gemstones, but she’d never studied Spirit Crystals. All she knew was that they transformed to match the spirit of the animal. Each gemstone represented a different kind of spirit, but Hollow had never been taught to identify them.

“Ahem.”

Simon suddenly cleared his throat, causing Hollow to snap out of it. She turned to stare at Simon.

“Geez, finally!” he scoffed. “You’re just as spacey as Borealis!”

There was a small yelp of protest from across the cave, but Simon ignored it.

Hollow covered her face with her ears. “S-sorry…”

Simon grinned, but not a malicious grin. “Don’t sweat it.” he said. “You’re… the cat from yesterday, right?”

Hollow was silent for a moment. “If you mean the cat in the trial, then yeah.”

Simon’s smile dropped. Something flashed in his eyes. _Fear?_

_Why is everyone so scared of me?_

A second later, Simon was back to normal. “Well, Raven wants me to give you a tour, so get up!” he nudged Hollow slightly, and the molly flinched before standing up.

Simon’s eyes moved around the cave. “I’ll introduce you, first. These are Raven’s most trusted fighters.” he barked. “Including me.”

Hollow nodded.

“My name’s Simon, but you already know that!” he said. “Now, onto the others.”

He gestured towards a small, brown munchkin molly, who was sleeping.

“That’s Otter. Not really the nicest person. Good thing she’s asleep!”

Hollow looked at Otter, and she found it hard to believe that this tiny cat was an experienced fighter. Simon continued.

“That,” he looked at a Ragdoll molly, who was sleeping not far from a pale silver colourpoint molly, “is Finch and Flashfreeze. They’re sisters, but they’re complete opposites. Flashfreeze is always yelling, and I think I’ve heard Finch say, like, three words since I got here.”

Hollow blinked at Finch. She was very pretty, and judging by what Simon had said, she was shy. Hollow thought she’d make a good friend.

“Aaaaand, THAT’S Cougar!”

Hollow moved her head to see a massive sandy grey molly biting into a bone nearby. She raised her head and hissed at Simon.

“Shut up!” she growled in an angry but quiet voice. “You’re gonna wake Finch!”

Simon looked unimpressed. “Oh no! I can’t let your precious Finch be awoken! Forgive me!” he said, sarcastically. Cougar huffed and turned away from him.

Simon shrugged. “Tsk tsk. Anyway,” he turned his head, “Over there is Owl and Dove.”

Hollow saw a sleeping blue-grey coloured American longhair tom, and male Australian shepherd with wide, blue eyes eating not far.

“Dove’s really, really quiet and anxious, and Owl is just… Owl.”

Owl stared at Simon. Without saying another word, but narrowing his huge eyes, he bit back into his prey.

Simon stared at a purple and milky brown molly at the edge of the cave. “That’s Borealis.”

Hollow recognized the name from earlier. The molly didn’t react, but she seemed to be pretending to sleep.

“I guess that’s it!” said Simon. “Oh, wait! I almost forgot the most IMPORTANT PERSON HERE.”

He said the last words very loudly, and Cougar glared at him angrily.

Simon flicked his tail towards a lounging wolf, who was staring the other way. “Hollow, meet Ogre!”

The molly flinched. “O-Ogre?”

There was a growl, and Ogre turned to stare at them. Hollow couldn’t help but gasp quietly.

It was a female wolf, but she looked horrible. Her fur was a matted, murky grey, almost green, and she had patches of fur torn off, revealing ugly skin. Scars covered her body, and there were pale spots over her back like a fawn. Her ears were huge and torn. Her eyes were cloudy grey and her pupils almost seemed to be loose. On her face, an enormous scar was scored across her muzzle, and another covered her eye, but it didn’t seem to be bothering her. She snarled, revealing stained yellow teeth.

“Holy shit, will you stop introducing me as Ogre to everybody?!” she barked. “Seriously, Amaryllis actually thought that was my name! For two weeks!”

Simon tipped his head to the side. “I have no idea what you mean, Ogre.” he said, mockingly.

The female wolf turned to look at Hollow. Her glazed eyes made Hollow’s skin crawl. “My name is Fauna. Now, leave me the fuck alone.”

Simon turned to Hollow and shrugged. “Wow. Anyways,” he began. “Icarus, Fox, Ammolite, Umber, Orca, Amaryllis and Alter aren’t here.” said Simon. “They’re out hunting. Their nests are over there.”

So, Umber was a trusted fighter. Hollow nodded. “What about that nest?”

She gestured towards an empty nest. However, unlike the other empty nests, it wasn’t indented, as if it hadn’t been slept in last night.

Simon flinched. The animals who were awake went dead silent. It was completely quiet in the cave, except for the breathing of the sleeping animals.

Simon’s eyes flicked away from her. “That’s… Thunderclap’s nest.”

Hollow’s ears drooped. “Oh.”

Awkward silence remained, but the other animals went back to eating.

Hollow finally built up the courage. One question had plagued her mind since she’d woken up. She leaned forward to whisper into Simon’s ear.

“Did I… kill Thunderclap? In the trial?”

Simon turned and walked out of the cave, and Hollow followed.

“Yes.” he finally replied. Hollow let out a small whine.

Simon flicked his tail. “You don’t need to be like that. You had no choice, it was life or death. Besides,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Thunderclap was a bragging idiot. We’re better off without him.” he glanced upwards. “Well, I guess soon he’ll be…”

Simon trailed off near the end of his sentence, mumbling something Hollow couldn’t hear.

_Great. Now I’ve got more questions._

Simon huffed. “Well, since the others aren’t back yet, I’ll get to actually showing you around!”

 

//

 

Simon gave her a tour, making sarcastic and annoying comments to the animals that passed by. He showed her the caves, told her about the camp, and about the “Antiheroes.”

Hollow learned that the Antiheroes were a group that existed thousands of years ago, that aimed to kill all heroes and bring evil back into the world. After their leader and many of the Antiheroes died, the world thought they had gone, but Raven had brought them back three years ago. None of the animals in the camp were heroes, so they couldn’t control their powers that well and they had no wings.

“Those ghost looking animals you’ve been seeing around?” said Simon. “They’re the ghosts of the first Antiheroes that died in the battle that ended the group all those years ago. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about some of them?”

Hollow nodded. She’d also heard about the first Antiheroes before. Every animal learned that story, whether it be in history class or from a talkative relative that loved to scare the young with these stories. Hollow had no idea they’d returned. And now she was a part of them.

Part of her wasn’t phased. She’d seen so much horrible stuff already, she was almost used to it. But killing Heroes? It made her shudder. She’d never killed before.

_…Actually, I killed Thunderclap… and possibly… my family…_

Maybe she wasn’t as innocent as she thought. Maybe she’d get used to the killing. The thought chilled her to the bone.

“Simon, how long have you been here?” asked Hollow. “In this group?”

Simon sat and thought for a moment. “I’d say around… five months?”

Hollow swallowed. “And… how many people have you killed…?”

Simon didn’t seem bothered by her question. “Eh. I’ve lost count.” he answered, as if it was a totally normal thing to ask.

Hollow just nodded. Simon must have noticed her fear, because he smiled at her.

“It seems scary, right?” he began. “But don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

But Hollow’s fear had been replaced by anger.

“How? How could be so used to killing? How are you okay with it?!”

Simon’s eyes widened. He motioned for her to lower her voice.

“Shh, be quiet, will you?” he growled.

Just then, noise arose from the edges of camp. A large group of animals emerged from the bushes, each with prey. Some walked to the middle of the camp to drop them, while others settled in the ground and began eating.

“Ah, they’re here. The ones I mentioned earlier.” said Simon. He padded into the hollow, the molly following him.

_He dropped the subject. Hmph._

The first person Simon pointed at was a red and white furred male wolf with bright green eyes and a wide grin. He wore a generic green collar around his neck, with a jade attached.

“That’s Amaryllis. He’s a total dumbass, but he’s pretty nice, I guess.”

The next person, Hollow recognized. It was the Abyssinian tom from earlier.

“He’s Fox. Not really approachable, but somehow he an Amaryllis seem to… click.” He wiggled his brows.

Next was a tom, with black fur but a white chest, tail and ears. Hollow assumed his eyes were blue, but he turned his head and she gasped.

He only had one eye. Just like her. Half his face was torn, revealing pale pink skin, unlike Hollow’s.

Before Simon could introduce him, he noticed them and padded over to them.

And he looked _angry_.

“Simon.” he said, through gritted teeth.

“Alter.” responded the wolf.

He eyed her up and down, with a gaze full of malice. Hollow gulped.

“You,” he gestured to her, “will call me Alteration. Though, I would prefer you not speak to me at all, lest you want your nerves severed.”

Then, he walked away. Simon sighed.

“That’s Alteration, but we call him Alter.”

Hollow looked up at him. “Why… does he seem to hate me so much?”

Simon found interest in digging his claws in the dirt. He then proceeded to more introductions.

“That one’s Ammolite.”

This one was strange. A male wolf with gray fur, but he had enormous ears coloured like a rainbow on the inside, as were his eyes.

Ammolite was the name of a stone. It matched the inside of his ears and eyes. He also wore one on a barbed wire collar.

The next animal seemed much older than the others. She was a black wolf with white paws and eyelids. Her eyes were piercing gold. The pattern of her fur was that of a Killer Whale.

“Orca’s the oldest one here. She’s like, thirty. Also, very depressed, but that describes half of us so…”

The gem around her neck was dark blue. Sapphire.

Hollow was having a hard time matching Spirits to Crystals. Maybe she had to train this power somehow.

Simon gestured towards the pile of fresh kill. “Want some?”

Hollow had to admit, she was hungry. Last time she ate was at Skipper’s place.

_Skipper…_

The image of the young ginger wolf appeared in her mind. Would she ever see them again?

She shook the thought from her head and padded over with Simon. The wolf grabbed a thrush, and Hollow settled for a mouse.

As she leaned down to take the mouse, she hit heads with someone. Yelping, she reared back, to be met with pale amber eyes.

She eyed them up and down. They were a male wolf, with pale ginger fur and darker stripes. Their crystal was worn as a bracelet on their right front paw. It was Andesine.

“Oh, sorry.”

But the wolf just stared at her. After a moment, he spoke in a shaky voice.

“You, victim of lies, Hollow. You were born of the blood of gemstones, not of flower’s nectar.”

Hollow blinked. The wolf got dangerously close. His eyes swirled.

At that moment, something flashed in her mind.

_Rain. Lots of rain._

_She could hear feline yowling; two cats crouched in the dark. One, red furred, writhed in agony. Hollow could see blood spilling._

_The writhing stopped. The yowling cut off. Soon, a terrible wail pierced the air. The other cat, blue furred, sobbed intensely. He seemed to be screaming something, but the words were an incomprehensible garbled mess._

_But Hollow was sure he looked familiar._

Suddenly, she was swatted with a spotted black tail, bringing her back. Simon was staring at her, concerned, before his eyes began to glare at the other wolf.

“Back off, Icarus. Go scream at the sky or something.”

The wolf made an odd gurgling noise before turning and padding away, without taking the mouse.

Hollow hesitantly leaned down, still reeling from what had just happened.

Taking the mouse, she and Simon settled not far.

“Hey, Simon?”

The wolf swallowed his bite. “Hm?”

“Who was that?”

Simon frowned. “Ugh, that was Icarus. He’s kinda messed up. Claims he sees visions of the future. I say that’s bullshit.”

Hollow looked back, seeing Icarus walking into the cave of trusted fighters. At the same time, Fauna walked out, wearing a terrible scowl. She seemed to be approaching them.

Simon then grinned, eyes to slits.

“Hey, Fauna! Think fast!”

The angry she-wolf looked up. At the same time, Simon took the remaining half of his thrush and threw it at her with his tail.

Hollow flinched in surprise. Fauna, on the other hand, raised a paw and caught it with ease.

Then, the thrush shuddered. Fauna gripped it with her claws. It turned black, then disintegrated, the remains falling to the ground.

Fauna stared at the remains. “Oops.”

Hollow stared blankly. Simon gasped loudly.

“Faunaaa! That was my lunch, you _bitch_!”

Fauna rolled her eyes. “That was an accident.”

Simon growled, though he wore a grin. Then, he threw himself at her.

Fauna yelped in surprise before growling fiercely. The two tussled, claws sheathed, and teeth bared. While Simon laughed, Fauna was cursing up a storm.

A red and white wolf with green eyes, the one Simon had called Amaryllis, appeared suddenly and began chanting. “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Right behind him was the Abyssinian tom, Fox, who smacked the wolf behind the ears. He lowered his head, smiling awkwardly. Fox scrunched up his nose.

At that moment, a loud yowl caught everyone’s attention. Fauna and Simon stopped abruptly and looked to the source.

The source was a ruddy Somali molly, with glowing yellow eyes. She seemed to be an Antihero Spirit, seeing how Hollow could see right through her.

She showed her teeth. “Training clearing. Now. Don’t be late, or I’ll have Roman drown you.”

Hollow shuddered. She had no idea who Roman was, but she did  _not_ want to be drowned.

The cave of trusted fighters was being emptied; the animals were coming out. Cougar stood tallest, next to the tiny Snowshoe, Finch. Borealis yawned, Flashfreeze looked away.

Hollow blinked, before feeling a nudge. Simon was staring at her. Animals were beginning to follow the Somali.

“So,” he began, still huffing from the tussle. “are you ready for your first training session?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of new characters!!! wanna see their designs?? find them in this video!!!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIVeAfkq9rA
> 
> also follow me on twitter, you'll find KOH stuff there: https://twitter.com/VanillaPretzels
> 
>  
> 
> comments are,,, really appreciated,,, validate me

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Feel free to ask questions!


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